Accused wheel man pleads not guilty in Elgin murder

An Elgin man was arraigned Friday on first-degree murder charges in the Feb. 4 shooting death of a 29-year-old man. Rogelio Leon-Rodriguez, 19, of the 500 block of Standish Street, pleaded not guilty in Kane County court to charges in connection with the fatal shooting of Hugo A. Navarro on Elgin's west side.

Navarro was gunned down about 2 a.m. Feb. 4 in front of his house in the 700 block of West Adams Street. Prosecutors say Leon-Rodriguez drove the gunman to and from the scene.

Elgin police and the FBI continue to search for the accused shooter, 32-year-old Amilkar Antonio “Tony” Caro of Elgin, who is wanted on a first-degree murder warrant. Also charged is Navarro's live-in girlfriend, Alexis I. Cruz, 19, who is accused of obstructing the investigation. Police say both Navarro and Caro had been involved in a relationship with Cruz. Navarro was killed after what witnesses described to police as a “heated argument.” Although Cruz initially told investigators she wasn't in the area and had no involvement, she later admitted she witnessed the shooting, police said in an affidavit seeking a search warrant.

Leon-Rodriguez faces 20 to 60 years in prison, plus a mandatory 15-year add-on because a firearm was involved, if convicted in Navarro's death. A jury trial has been tentatively scheduled for January.

Kane County Public Defender David Kliment, who represents Leon-Rodriguez, declined to comment Friday. His client, who returns to court Dec. 2, remained in the county jail on $2 million bail.